Eastern’s Board of Trustees has chosen the chair for the search committee that will select the university’s next president and has asked the Faculty Senate to provide the names of six faculty members interested in serving on the committee.

BOT member Robert Manion, who was chosen to chair the presidential search committee at a Sept. 18 board retreat, sent Faculty Senate Chair Bud Fischer a letter requesting that the senate submit by Oct. 8 the names of six faculty members willing to serve on the committee.

The search committee will consist of 11 members, four of which have already been chosen, according to a press release issued Monday by Eastern’s Media Relations Department.

Manion and two other BOT members, Roger Dettro and Julie Nimmons, will serve along with Daryl Jones, student vice president for public affairs, according to the press release.

The remaining seven members will represent various campus constituencies. Three faculty members will be chosen to serve on the committee along with one administrator and one staff member.

In addition, one member will be chosen from Eastern’s Alumni Association and the final committee member will be chosen from the student body, Manion’s letter stated.

At Tuesday’s senate meeting Fischer said the senate would submit the names of six faculty members and the search committee would then choose three of the six names submitted.

He also said that because the Oct. 8 submission deadline falls on Monday, one day before the senate’s next meeting, he would ask Manion to extend the deadline until Tuesday afternoon.

According to Manion’s letter, the search committee’s first meeting is tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m. on Oct. 15, the same day of the next BOT meeting.

Tuesday, after the senate meeting, Fischer sent faculty members an e-mail encouraging interesting parties to send him their names along with a paragraph addressing their understanding and experience in dealing with university governance and why they would like to serve on the committee.

Fischer also said at the meeting that Manion had informed him that a national search firm would be commissioned to assist in advertising for the position.

Manion said he anticipates that the search will take approximately six months to complete, so a new president could be announced next April, according to the press release.